


I Can Tell That We Are Going To Be Friends

by cinnab0n



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Coming of Age, Desi Potter Family (Harry Potter), Eventual Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hogwarts First Year, Humor, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Indian James Potter, James Potter is a Good Friend, MWPP, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Mischief, POC James Potter, POV Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, Werewolf Remus Lupin, Werewolves, aka lil shits, i promise it gets gay but they're all 11 right now, kids being kids, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:49:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27828517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinnab0n/pseuds/cinnab0n
Summary: “I’m here to discuss Remus’s education.”Well. That was the last thing any of them had expected. The idea that there was even anything to expect was mind-boggling to Remus. His entire life thus far, he had operated under the assumption that there would never be anything ahead of him, no place on Earth where he could be safe or prosperous, but here was this bizarre man implying that he had options.The Marauders begin their first year at Hogwarts.
Relationships: Remus Lupin & James Potter, Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Father Christmas Came In August This Year, I Suppose

**Author's Note:**

> f*ck JK Rowling, all my homies hate JK Rowling. Trans rights all the way!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. This is my first time writing fanfiction, and I hope I did okay. Comments are greatly appreciated! Thanks to my friend for checking the grammar for me. You know who you are. I was actually inspired to write my own fanfiction by reading Shifting Lines by DovahTobi! 11/10 recommend that.

It happened on the day of the new moon, which was the best of the month for Remus Lupin. It was a rainy August, which, in his humble opinion, was one of the better months of the year. That morning was dewy and calm, and all the residents of the Lupin Cottage were prepared for a quiet day of reading and washing up. That is, until a thundering knock came rapping on the door. The entire family froze at the sound, the hairs on their arms standing on end. Remus, being the first of the lot to collect themselves, went up to answer the door. Before him stood a man who bore some likeness to Father Christmas, with soft blue eyes peering out from behind gold rimmed half moon glasses and long, flowing indigo robes. He stood at the bottom of the steps, likely observing the cracked veneer of Lupin Cottage. This man was definitely a wizard, which did very little to assuage his fear; if anything, it worsened it. What if the ministry had found out he was a werewolf and this man was here to take him and put him in a cage or maybe even kill him? It wasn’t too strange a thought, as it was just as likely as any other reason this wizard was here. His worries were icy, running rampant in circles through his mind. He wasn’t ready to die. He might technically be a monster, but he hardly thought he was  _ evil _ by any stretch of the word. He didn’t deserve it, not really. What about-

  


“Hello. You must be Remus. I am Albus Dumbledore,” the man said, smiling, “And I am here to… discuss something with you.” Mr. Dumbledore climbed the old stone steps in a comfortable stride, not even faltering at the one crumbling stair. His father came up behind him and squeezed his shoulders tight, gesturing for Mr. Dumbledore to come in. His mum, who had been glued to her spot knitting on the sofa, rose slowly, slightly shaking.

  


“Would you like some tea? We only have the bags, but, we have earl grey and chamomile, sir.” 

  


“Thank you, Mrs. Lupin. Some earl grey would be lovely, but I do think you would like to be included in our discussion,” Mr. Dumbledore stated firmly. He pulled out a seat at the table and motioned for Remus and his family to join him. There was a moment of silence before Remus’s Da spoke up. 

  


“Professor Dumbledore, not to be rude, but what exactly are you doing here?” Remus watched as the man’s face changed in contemplation. The man definitely knew he was a werewolf. He could see it in Dumbledore’s eyes. 

  


“I’m here to discuss Remus’s education.”

  


Well. That was the last thing any of them had expected. The idea that there was even anything to expect was mind-boggling to Remus. His entire life thus far, he had operated under the assumption that there would never be anything ahead of him, no place on Earth where he could be safe or prosperous, but here was this bizarre man implying that he had options.

  


“Professor, you cannot possibly be insinuating that Remus could go to Hogwarts. He- It’s- He can’t. I assume you’re here because you  _ know _ .” His father, who had been frantically ranting all of this, paused to take a deep breath. Dumbledore nodded at that last statement. 

  


“If you know that he is a, erm, a werewolf,” his father whispered breathily, “Then surely you know why it was ridiculous for you to even come here. It wouldn’t be safe for him to go to Hogwarts. He could hurt other students, or his secret could be found out, or, or, or he could… any number of things could happen. Don’t get the boy’s hopes up by offering things both of us know will never happen.” Dumbledore’s face shifted slightly, almost as if he was considering Da’s statement, but the feeling didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

  


“Lyall, we have plans in place. A house on the edge of Hogsmeade has been constructed for Remus to transform in, and we have a very skilled and discrete matron. We have it set up so that Remus and all the students will be safe and your son can get an education and live up to his full potential, whatever that may be. I shall give you some time to make a decision, but I am urging you to at least genuinely consider it.” With that, Professor Dumbledore (as his Da had referred to him) swiftly left the cottage and apparated back to where he came from, if the “pop!” Remus heard echo was anything to go by. Da had gotten up to re-bolt the array of locks on their door while Remus just tried to process what had happened. As soon as Da had sat back down, he tried to do his best approximation of puppy-dog eyes.

  


“Da, he said it would be safe. They have plans in place. And I’ll be very careful. You know I will! Please Da, please…” Remus begged. 

  


His father looked at him twice, first in anger, then in what might have been pity. Eventually, Da sighed and said, “I’ll talk to your mum about it. No guarantees, but we will discuss it.” Remus felt a little defeated, because his parents had ‘discussed’ plenty of things before, the vast majority of which never came to fruition. He subconsciously rubbed at a scar on his arm. He had formed quite the collection over the years- werewolves didn’t scar during every transformation, as they had magical healing factors, but their scratches and bites were still cursed wounds, so if they were particularly deep, they would scar, leaving him with an array of marks all over his arms and chest (and some other places too) that were in different shades of pink and white. The oldest of his scars, the scar from the night he was bitten, was a large, jaw-shaped depression that was silvery in color. Da glared a little when he noticed Remus rubbing at the scar. He always seemed to hate any attention being drawn towards his son’s lycanthropy unless he was the one doing it.

  


The next evening, Remus had been lying in his bed, reading, when he heard the echo of Da’s rough voice from down the hall. 

  


“...Hope, we cannot send him there. Someone will find out, and they… It would be bad. He could get  _ put down _ , Hope. You don’t think I want to send him? That I want him to be part of my world? I feel terrible, and it’s all my fault, but we just cannot give him those kinds of opportunities.”

  


“But can’t we? Mr. Dumbledore-”   
  


“Headmaster Dumbledore.”

  


“ _ Headmaster _ Dumbledore is giving him this opportunity. They have it all set up. Remus is a good boy. He can handle himself, and he can keep his secret. All we’ve taught him for the last seven years is how to keep his secret. I think he’s more than prepared. If you really want him to go in your heart of hearts, you would see that and listen to our son. I don’t really want him to go either, but he wants to go and I want him to be able to try if it will make him happy.”

Remus found listening to this discussion exhausting. As much as he wanted to listen in to know whether or not he would go to Hogwarts or not, he wanted to sleep just as much. He almost wanted to forget Headmaster Dumbledore had ever been to the cottage, just so he could get some peaceful sleep. 

  


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

  


A few days later, Remus’s parents sat him down after lunch. He was slightly disgruntled at this interruption, as he was very absorbed in his battered copy of  _ The Hobbit _ , but there was no way he would let his parents know that. 

  


“Remus, honey,” Mum breathed gently, “Your father and I have… made a decision. Your Da trusts Headmaster Dumbledore, and Dumbledore seemed real confident and…” she paused and Remus’s excitement grew. “You can go to Hogwarts.” Remus felt his face crack open into a smile. Da must’ve noticed his giddiness, because he cut in.

  


“Don't get too excited. We will need to make a lot of rules, which you will need to follow to the letter, and you cannot get too attached to the idea in case something happens. We still have a lot to discuss, Remus,” his father announced. He continued on, probably explaining the rules, but Remus’s head was crowded with too many thoughts to really listen. Da would undoubtedly repeat this list a thousand more times before they got to King’s Cross on September first, so it didn’t really matter whether or not he listened this first time. He began forming dreams of going to Diagon Alley, picking out all his stuff, and his mind began to wander to some other place.


	2. Sorting, Train Rides, and Other Trials and Tribulations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gone back and edited the chapters I have already, so if it looks different, that's why

Remus’s father went to Diagon Alley without him. He didn’t need to be there for most of it anyway- he was going to wear used robes and use most of his father’s old books, and they would pick up his wand right before going to King’s Cross. This was probably for the best, as the less he was out in public (especially among wizards) the better, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment resonate in his chest. This only served as a reminder of how different he was, how his experience at Hogwarts wasn’t going to be normal no matter what. He anxiously awaited his father’s return at the door, reading the whole while. They sent the letter of confirmation to Dumbledore a week ago and he was now just a few days from going to Hogwarts. He would be taking Darcy, the family’s owl (his mother was very into Austen), and leaving his parents all alone here quite soon, which was utterly terrifying. He had never been away from his home for more than an hour or two, and the longest he’d ever been away from his parents was probably during the full moons, and thus he had no idea what to expect.

Remus was a bit afraid to be away from his Mum- he thought it would be quite lonely to be somewhere without her and all her love and affection there, especially since he had to be so careful. He wasn’t as worried about being away from his father, who had always had a much more distant presence in his life. This wasn’t to say that he didn’t love his father, but he was more of a gruff man, giving his affection less freely than Mum, and he always made Remus be much more careful. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The Lupin’s home was not hooked up to the Floo network (“It is far easier for the ministry to prosecute you if they can just walk into our living room,”) and so they had to go to the nearest magical establishment, a small pub where they only spoke Welsh, and use the fireplace there. Remus had observed very carefully while his father instructed him about how to use Floo powder and stepped into the sooty fireplace, rather confident that he would be able to do it without burning himself or ending up halfway across the world. This confidence did not end up being all that misplaced, as he materialized in a different pub and saw his parents standing in front of him. 

The three of them walked out and Remus had to take a second to step back and look at what surrounded him. Cobblestone streets twisted and bent around corners, bright stone storefronts with candlelit windows advertised all sorts of trinkets and tools, and colorfully dressed witches and wizards were gallivanting around, going about their days. The place was brimming with magic, the air positively  _ charged _ with something fantastical, and for just a moment, the world seemed beautiful. 

“Come on, Remus. We have no time for dilly-dallying. Ollivander’s is just over there,” Remus’s father said nonchalantly. His mother tentatively walked behind them, seeming just as awe-struck as Remus. That was probably to be expected- his mother, being a muggle, is just as new to all of it as he is. Da led them to a brick building with round convex windows. The shop was dark, with boxes piled high in every direction. An elderly man with longish white hair (although not as long as Headmaster Dumbledore’s) grinned eerily when he saw them walk in.

“Ah, Lyall,” the man (presumably Ollivander) said, “Nice to see you. Fir, dragon heartstring, rather stiff but good for defensive magic and curses.” He must’ve noticed the face Remus was making, as he said, “I remember every wand I’ve ever made, and that includes your father’s. Lyall, I remember you were excellent at Defense Against the Dark Arts in school. Do you work at the ministry?” Da shook his head, grimacing.

“I used to, many years ago, but I work mostly odd jobs now. Getting rid of doxies, ghoul extermination, the like.” Remus felt guilt rise in the bottom of his chest. It was his fault his Da couldn’t work at the ministry, and it was his fault that they couldn’t afford anything very nice. Mr. Ollivander must have noticed that he struck a nerve, as he shoved a long, thin box into Remus’s hands. He was instructed to give it a swish, and as he did, a box on the counter skittered a little.

“Hmmm. Not quite what we’re looking for. Try this- willow and dragon heartstring.” He did try it, and a box was set ablaze. Da quickly extinguished it and Mr. Ollivander began looking for another box. Remus tried a couple more wands, each producing meagre results when Mr. Ollivander pulled out a thin mahogany-colored box. 

“Ah, this may be good. Cypress and unicorn hair, 10 ¼ inches, quite pliable.” Ollivander shoved the box into Remus’s hands and he pulled out the wand. Remus gave it a firm swish and watched in awe as a small firework show appeared before him. Mr. Ollivander seemed quite pleased with this.

“My theory was correct. Unicorn hair is dependable, good, and pure. Cypress, however, indicates that you lead a life of great pain and sacrifice. It is the wood of martyrdom. One’s wand says quite a bit about them, in my experience,” the man acknowledged. Da seemed quite displeased with what Ollivander was saying if the look on his face was anything to go off of. Remus couldn’t help but feel the same. 

As they exited the store, Da leaned over and whispered, “Don’t pay any mind to what Ollivander said. He’s always been a bit of a crackpot, says that kind of stuff to everyone. He told me my wand meant I was judgemental.” Something inside of Remus slightly agreed with this assessment, but he would never say that. They left Diagon Alley as quickly as they came, and walked to King’s Cross Station. It was a grand place, big and packed with people.

“Remus, you’ll have to listen very carefully. That post over there- that’s platform 9 ¾. It’s disguised so that muggles can’t see it. You need to charge at it with your cart and then you’ll see the Hogwarts Express. We’ll cross too, but you should do it first.” Remus gulped and eyed the aforementioned pillar warily, but Da knew better than he did, so he squeezed the handle of the cart and leapt off towards it. He forced his eyes shut, afraid of what would happen, but he never hit the wall. Instead, he tumbled forward into another area, people standing all around him. There were probably no more people on this side of the platform than outside it, but they were all filled with so much energy that it felt like more. Children were running around with their parents in tow all over the place. His parents were suddenly right behind him, his mother smiling softly. The both of them looked a little nervous, his father more so, but they still seemed happy. 

“Remus… be careful. Remember to be cautious, and don’t strain yourself too much, and you have to avoid drawing too much attention to yourself,” his mum whispered. She didn’t really need to say this. Da spent the entirety of the month reminding Remus that he needed to be incredibly cautious while his mother nodded along in silent agreement and told him he was better safe than sorry. Her flowery smell wrapped around him for what would be the last time for several months, and she hugged him tightly. Da squeezed his shoulders, echoing what Mum had just said. He was a little disappointed that they needed to leave so soon, but Da had work and Mum had no way to get home without him. Mum’s eyes were watering as she waved goodbye and his own eyes threatened to do the same. 

Leaning against a wall as he waited for the train, Remus began to watch the people all around him. There seemed to be quite a few other first years. There was a blond boy who was talking spiritedly with a short woman who must’ve been his mother. Right next to where the train was supposed to arrive, there was a girl with glossy red hair (and not even that orangey ginger color, really-- actually red, dark and vibrant) who was already in her robes. He saw an elderly couple, one of whom had black hair streaked with gray and the other with white hair and a thick beard, speaking some foreign language to each other. It didn’t sound like a language he knew, although his experiences with the world outside his home were very limited. They quickly disappeared into the air, smiling at each other. He opened his book and started to read. 

Remus felt a rumbling under his feet and started putting his book away. The train chugged forward into the station and screeched to a halt as it brought a cloud of hazy smoke into the building. The door opened and a boarding platform slid out. He started hurrying forward quickly, hoping to be the first one on the train, but he got lost as a wave of other kids rushed forwards, several of them tripping over his trunk and nearly falling off the platform as they all tried to get on the train. That first wave passed and he found an empty compartment to sit in. He got out his book and continued to read. The compartment was a comfy place to read. It had quilted blue seats that were remarkably clean considering this train’s only passengers were teenagers. 

It didn’t stay quiet long, however. Almost as quickly as the quiet had begun, Remus felt a disturbance coming. Heavy footsteps ran towards the compartment after the train’s horn had signaled that it would be leaving soon and any stragglers should board. He put his book down and stared up, making eye contact with a boy with wavy black hair. The boy had a magnetic, piercing gaze, but it only lasted a split second, as he began to laugh. A second boy with thick glasses decided that they would be sitting in Remus’s compartment and they all took a seat on the bench opposite him, even though they barely all fit. He noticed the blond boy who he had seen early was amongst them. The bespectacled boy seemed to radiate warmth and decided to take it upon himself to make introductions.

“Hi, I’m James Potter and, er, this is…” James looked quizzically at the other boys.

“Peter. Err, Pettigrew. I guess.”

“You guess? It’s your name, innit?” James said in jest. Peter smiled a little at that and he visibly relaxed. The other boy, who was sitting in the corner, stared down at his hands, which were folded neatly in his lap.

“I am Sirius Black,” he huffed. James looked affronted at this, opening his mouth to say something (presumably something rude), but when he saw the expression on Sirius’s face he seemed to decide against it and just clapped the other boy on the shoulder, announcing,

“Well, you seem alright. You helped me set off a dungbomb in the entryway, so you can’t be all bad.” Sirius smiled back gratefully.

“Er, I’m, erm, R-Remus Lupin,” Remus said, summoning all his confidence to do so. Sirius stared at him again, although less sharply this time, and he felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. 

James took it upon himself to break whatever tension Sirius created by declaring,

“I think maybe we can all be friends. A group, y’know?” Remus gulped. He needed to keep his head down and be careful, not make friends with everyone. He needed things to go exactly right, he needed to follow his parents’ rules, and if he had to avoid making friends in order to do so, he would just have to do so. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes, not when he was given an impossible opportunity to even be at Hogwarts. This internal monologue was only broken by Peter’s vehement agreement and Sirius’s enthusiastic nodding. 

Fifteen minutes came and went, the three other boys in Remus’s compartment spiritedly talking about small things and making jokes while Remus sat there in silence, occupied with his worries. He twiddled his fingers and rubbed at the little marks on his arms, hoping time would go faster, but his wishes seemed incredibly ineffective. 

“Oi, Potter, doesn’t your dad make Sleekeazey’s? My cousin absolutely  _ swears _ by that stuff, spends like, half her allowance on it.” James began giggling, which eventually grew into wild howls of laughter.

“Hey, don’t laugh at me mate. It’s not funny, really,” Sirius protested, his face pinking. 

“No, it's not that, it's just, er, funny to me that someone would spend a lot of money on it. My dad told me that it's, erm, that it’s almost entirely coconut oil that he ships really cheap from Tamil Nadu with a few magic ingredients in.” This did nothing to dispel Sirius’s embarrassment, it seemed. However, it did strike Remus as quite funny and he fought hard to contain his own laughter. Unfortunately for him (and his mission to go largely unnoticed), the laughter won. He winced as three heads snapped up at his sudden outburst. Sirius observed him for a painful second and then erupted into a peal of unique barking laughter. 

“You alright? You’ve been quiet,” Peter said reluctantly. Remus looked down at his watch and realized there was probably a couple of hours left of the train ride, and it couldn’t hurt to talk to these other kids for a little while.

The following little while was filled with easy discussion. Remus learned that James was incredibly into quidditch and getting in trouble, Sirius was into pissing off his mother, and Peter was into… running around and watching quidditch? Peter was not as enthusiastic about starting conversations as the other two boys were. He seemed to prefer to take a backseat. James was in the middle of talking about how he broke his glasses falling off a broomstick over the summer.

“I’ve never been on a broom. Not really anywhere to fly in the middle of London, I guess,” Sirius lamented.

“Flying is so great. I have a really nice broom, but I had to leave it at home. Ap- er, my dad says they’re not allowed. I wish they were though. I could do all sorts of tricks and-” James cut himself off quickly as the red-haired girl from the platform marched into the compartment. There was a dark-haired boy in rough clothing lingering behind her.

“Look Sev, these guys look like first years as well. Hello, I’m Lily Evans- I was so excited when I learned I was a witch. I knew a little bit from Sev here, but my parents are muggles, so it was still pretty new. Oh Sev, why don’t you introduce yourself,” She talked very fast and had a strong brummie accent, and Remus couldn’t help but think that this girl (Lily, his mind supplied) after a cup of really strong coffee like Mum made would be the scariest, most energetic person ever. The boy behind her frowned a little but obliged nonetheless. He introduced himself as Severus Snape, sneering a little at everyone. Snape turned to James and looked at him as if he stared hard enough, James would turn into a pile of goo. In turn, James narrowed his eyes at Snape.

“You ought to get your hair in order. It makes you look homeless and dirty like that,” Snape said, disgusted. Lily frowned and pulled at his arm a little.

“Well yeah, Snivellus? I think,” James retaliated, “That you are a slimy, greasy git. Maybe you should leave before a puddle starts to form.” Lily huffed and angrily stomped away with the newly-christened Snivellus in tow. 

“He’s just mad that everyone else is not as miserable as he is,” Remus said. James smiled gratefully at him and the topic changed to school.

“I want to be in Gryffindor,” James said proudly. “That’s where my dad was. My mother was in Gryffindor too.” 

“I would like to be in Gryffindor, but I’m not sure where I’d go. My mum was a Hufflepuff, and my dad’s a Gryffindor, I think, so…” Peter trailed off.

Remus thought about it for a second. He knew his father was a Ravenclaw, but they are quite different, Remus and his da, so he wasn’t sure either. He said as much to the group.

“My whole family is in Slytherin, so I’ll probably be there with them,” Sirius said darkly. James made a face at this.

“Slytherin’s a lot of tossers, and you’re not like your family. Maybe you won’t be,” James said hopefully. James and Sirius had connected in some way when they first met and seemed quite attached to each other already.

Minutes melted into hours, and suddenly the train was screeching to a halt in Hogsmeade station. A gigantic man with a mane of tangly brown hair stood in front of a hoard of small boats. 

“No more‘n four to a boat!” The man shouted. “Try not ter fall in!” James and Sirius eyed the boats and looked at each other mischievously. The large man (Hagrid, James said) ushered them over to the little boats and the four of them all got in one of them. Hagrid climbed into the boat with Lily and greasy Snape, which miraculously didn’t tip over and land the three of them in the cold, black lake. Everyone looked up in awe at the castle that lay before them. It was all lit up against the night sky, tall, glowing, and magnificent. All the while James and Sirius took it upon themselves to splash Snape at random moments. 

All the students walked up to the entrance of the Great Hall in a big crowd. The hall sounded to be full of chatter and conversation, as hundreds of students looked at the incoming first years. A severe-looking woman with graying hair stepped forward.

“Welcome. Before the start-of-year banquet begins, you will be sorted into your houses. Your house is the people you will live, eat, have classes, and spend time with, so it would serve you well to become acquainted with your housemates. The four houses, for those of you who don’t know, are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house is virtuous and produces wonderful witches and wizards. Any rules you break will lose you points and anything you achieve shall earn you some. I wish you all luck,” she said. She led all of them through the giant doorway and into the hall. All the first years stood in a group near the front. A ratty old hat was placed on a stool in front of them and all the students stared at it and gaped when a mouth-like rip opened and began to sing. Remus listened as the song listed the different houses’ traits. Gryffindor was brave, Ravenclaw was smart, Hufflepuff was hardworking and loyal, and Slytherin, which was unpopular among his new...  _ acquaintances _ , was cunning.

The first student to be called was a gloomy boy by the name of Icarus Avery Jr. (according to the stern woman and her list) who became a Slytherin after just ten seconds, and the Slytherins gave a polite applause at this. The very next student was Sirius. He sat on the stool with the hat on for about a minute, seemingly deep in thought.

“Gryffindor!” the hat declared. There was very little clapping at this, despite James’s loud applause and large grin. A few people at the Slytherin table stared at Sirius with great contempt and he turned a little green. Remus tried to smile comfortingly at him as he nervously walked over to the Gryffindor table. More and more students were sorted. Remus was a little too busy worrying about being called to notice for the most part (although he did note that Evans, Lily became a Gryffindor, much to her slimy friend’s apparent disappointment). Suddenly “Lupin, Remus” was called and he began to panic. He walked up to the stool as calmly as he possibly could and felt strange as the hat was placed on his head.

_ “Very intelligent, I see,”  _ an odd voice spoke.  _ “An intelligent mind, yes, but complex. You have a life of prejudice and difficulty ahead of you. It’s not easy, being a werewolf- yes, it takes much bravery to do as you do. It takes even more to dare to take for yourself what will not be freely given. That’s why I put you not in Ravenclaw, but...” _

“Gryffindor!” the hat said aloud. The Gryffindor table cheered as Remus went to sit down next to Sirius. The next three girls who went all became Gryffindors, to quite a bit of rowdy applause. Then Peter went up to the stool, where he sat under the hat for five whole minutes. There were many whispers in the hall about the hatstall.

“Gryffindor!” the hat announced, and Peter waddled over to the table Remus was sitting at. The hat shouted “Gryffindor!” almost as soon as the hat touched the top of James’s head. Snape became a Slytherin rather quickly, only sitting up there for about forty-five seconds. After all the students were sorted and sitting at their tables, Headmaster Dumbledore, the man who looked like Father Christmas, stood up from his spot in the center of the staff table.

“Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Over the summer, a house was constructed in Hogsmeade village. It is advised that students stay away from it, as locals say it is haunted. Additionally, our very own Professor Sprout rescued the Whomping Willow, a rare herbological wonder. This tree, however unique, is quite aggressive, so it is advised that students also stay away from that. Enjoy the feast, and have a wonderful start to the new year!” The headmaster gave a clap of his hands and food appeared on all of the tables. Remus eyed the utensils suspiciously, but upon inspection it was not genuine silver and he was able to use it without issue. 

Remus couldn’t help but gasp as the food appeared. There was roast beef as far as the eye could see, heaping bowls of mashed potatoes, stewed vegetables, and several other things that he couldn’t identify from the other side of the table. Most of the people at the table (certainly most of the first years) started piling food on their plates. Remus put so much of the beef on his plate he thought he might get in trouble.

“What do you think is gonna be the best class?” Peter said, in between bites of veg. 

“I, er, think Charms sounds cool,” Remus said. Sirius immediately butt in with his own opinions.

“No way, I think Defense sounds the most fun. You get to learn duelling and such, after all,” Sirius said. By this point, they all already knew James thought flying class would be the coolest, so he didn't even bother with speaking up. 

There were 9 boys in Gryffindor this year, split into groups of five and four, so a prefect led the four of them up the stairs and showed them to the room they would share for seven entire years. Remus wanted the bed closest to the door (it would make leaving easier), but he wanted to let the others choose first. He wasn’t about to make a big deal over  _ anything _ , much less anything small like this. James immediately chose the bed farthest from the door and Peter chose the one next to him. Remus was satisfied with this and sat on the bed next to the door. Everyone began to open their trunks and unpack, and he suddenly felt a little ashamed of his ragged clothes and used books. Sirius and James had brand new robes and materials, and Peter had some old stuff, but a lot of it seemed new. He couldn’t blame his parents, not really- they did the best they could with the opportunities. It was his fault that they didn't have much, after all. If it weren't for his being a werewolf, his father could still have his job at the ministry.

The moon shone bright in the sky and everyone drifted off into sleep’s waiting arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All we learn in canon is that Cokeworth is somewhere in the English midlands, so I've decided that it's near Birmingham and Lily has a Brummie accent.


	3. It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: werewolf-related gore
> 
> edit: I looked into it, and, in 1971, September's full moon would've been on a Saturday (though still at the beginning of the month) so I adjusted this chapter accordingly.

Remus was woken from his sleep when James began to stir at the ungodly hour of six in the morning. He was having nightmares anyway, so he couldn’t act as if he was  _ that _ upset about being woken up, but he was a little annoyed nonetheless. He tried to go back to sleep and got about thirty more minutes of it before he just couldn’t anymore. He was well and truly awake now. He opened up his copy of  _ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe _ , which at this point had a broken spine and a fraying cover. He missed having his beloved novels close to him; they were like old friends, memories of comfort and happiness. 

  


Sirius and Peter woke up astoundingly late, both awake only about half an hour before class was scheduled to start. Before they left for breakfast, a big black owl swooped in and dropped a red envelope on top of Sirius’s head. 

  


“HOW DARE YOU BRING SHAME UPON OUR NOBLE FAMILY,” the letter screamed shrilly. “YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR ANCESTORS, TO OUR HISTORY! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MY HEIR, BUT INSTEAD YOU ARE A FILTHY GRYFFINDOR, CAVORTING WITH TRAITORS! I WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN, YOU CURSED BANE OF MY FLESH!” The letter erupted into a shower of paper, like horrible confetti. Everyone in the dorm stared at Sirius for a good thirty seconds in silence before returning to their own meals. Remus looked at Sirius sympathetically, not knowing how to respond after such a display. 

The first thing to hit Remus as he walked to breakfast, distancing himself from the others, was the smell filling the corridor. The Great Hall smelled strongly of pancakes and sausage. Sitting, they tucked into their meals. A parade of owls flew in, dropping letters into the hands of eager students. 

  


McGonagall stood at the entrance with an armful of half sheets of parchment that she began handing out to all the students. As she walked over to the rowdy boys, she reprimanded James quickly for not putting his tie on correctly.

  


“Mr. Lupin, I need to speak with you after the meal is over,” Professor McGonagall said primly. 

  


“Ooh, you’re in trouble already? That’s impressive, you absolutely must tell us your secrets,” Sirius joked.

  


“This is no concern of yours, Mr. Black, so I suggest you run along before I start feeling like giving out punishments. Goodbye.” She took Remus’s hand and led him to a large bird-like statue guarding an entryway. 

  


“Pepper imps,” She announced. The gargoyle leapt aside and allowed the pair up a stone stairway. Remus realized that they must be going to the headmaster’s office once they arrived at the top. Dumbledore was sitting in a chair and feeding a red-orange bird, who was cooing happily at the man. 

  


“Ah, Remus. Hello to you, and you as well Minerva. Do sit down.” A short woman in an apron came into the room and stood next to the headmaster. “This is Madame Pomfrey, the school’s matron, and I’m sure you already know Professor McGonagall. I thought we should have a discussion about the circumstances of your situation.”

  


“Er, yes. Mr Lupin,” McGonagall said, “As head of Gryffindor house, I was informed of your… condition. The other heads of house were also informed- that would be your Potions teacher, Charms teacher, and Herbology teacher as well as myself. Madam Pomfrey is also aware, as she will be the one to help you. I hope you understand that this is information that should probably be kept under wraps, so you cannot go around telling your peers.”

  


Remus was horrified at the idea that anyone would do such a thing. 

  


“Of course not, Professor. The less people who are aware the better, I know. My parents have made this very clear. I will not fail you,” he said, quickly and nervously.

  


“I should hope not,” she imparted. Professor McGonagall scared him, but she probably scared a lot of people, what with her stern and commanding presence. He must’ve had shown some nervousness on his face, as her expression softened and she opened her mouth to speak. “Don’t worry about it too much. You seem like an intelligent young man, and I have no doubt you will be able to keep your secrets.”  
  


Madame Pomfrey took a step forward towards him. 

  


“Do you know when the full moons for this year are?” Remus nodded. He had all the full moons for the next few years memorized. “Then I’m sure you know that the first full of the school year is later this week. I’ll show you what to do when the time comes, but you have to come to the hospital wing before sunset. Do you understand?” He once again nodded vigorously. Madame Pomfrey smiled at his understanding.

  


“Well then, Remus, dear boy, I believe you can go to class. You would’ve only missed the first bit of History of Magic, which is not a particularly… _essential_ class, anyways,” Dumbledore remarked.

  


McGonagall led Remus to the classroom and he found a seat in a small wooden desk near the back. The professor was a ghost, much to his surprise, and also incredibly boring. Professor Binns droned on and on, and no one seemed to be paying attention. Remus himself spent the period reading through the textbook. Once the class let out, all the Gryffindors were on their way to Transfiguration. Sirius, James, and Peter were all walking towards him, and Remus, remembering his promise to his parents, started walking faster and faster in an attempt to avoid the other boys.

  


The Transfiguration classroom was a large, brightly-light room with blackboards at the front by McGonagall’s desk and rows of small benches and tables for students to sit at. Remus took a seat nearby Professor McGonagall’s desk by the front, and the teacher nodded in his direction, as if to express some sort of subtle fondness. Right before the class began, Sirius took it upon himself to slide in next to Remus. McGonagall frowned at Sirius, who seemed to already have invoked her disapproval.

  


“Transfiguration is one of the more difficult classes here at Hogwarts; I must ask you to pay attention. There are a great many things you can learn from me, if you only try. You are all too young and inexperienced to attempt any human transfiguration, so _please_ do not do anything of the sort. There are several different things that affect a Transfiguration. Can anyone provide me with one?”

  


Remus, who had read the textbook a bit already, raised his hand timidly. McGonagall noticed and smiled at him, calling upon him to give an answer.

  


“Erm… weight?” he said, nervous about sharing his answer in front of all the students in the class.

  


“Very good, Mr. Lupin. Take five points for Gryffindor. Does anyone else have an answer?” She surveyed the group of students. Lily from the train raised her hand supplied the other four factors. Sirius and James kept passing a piece of parchment back and forth, rousing suspicion from Lily. The rest of their first Transfiguration lesson was spent discussing basic theory, which Remus thought was interesting, but many other students seemed to disagree.

  


They had only one more class before returning to the Great Hall for lunch. Defense Against the Dark Arts was mostly uneventful, which was a bit disappointing. Remus had been quite excited about it, but Professor Davies was rather bland. He supposed it was only her first year teaching, but she could have a little more enthusiasm. She prattled on about how important the class was and how they would learn some useful spells, but all she did was tell them to read a chapter of their textbooks and put up a picture of a hag.

  


Remus ended up finding a seat at the Gryffindor table away from James, Sirius, and Peter, which was no small task. They were a very persistent bunch, no doubt. Sirius in particular was irritatingly constant in his attempts to attract Remus’s attention. He soon learned that the reason he was not followed by the three boys was because he was surrounded by prefects. On Remus’s left, a hoity-toity blonde girl was chiding her boyfriend for his incorrect tie placement, a seventh-year prefect was trying to organize schedules with two fifth years, and on his right an impossibly tall boy had his nose in a Charms book next to him.

  


This was going to be quite a long year.

  


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

  


Potions was an interesting affair. Professor Slughorn seemed a nice enough man, if not one with questionable taste in facial hair, but Remus knew when he walked in that this class was going to be a difficult one. He was assaulted by the smells and odors of the classroom as well as the chill of the dungeons. Professor Slughorn announced that they would be making a Cure for Boils, gave them instructions, and sent them on their way. Snape and Lily Evans paired together, as did James and Sirius, and Remus ended up being paired with a Gryffindor girl named Mary MacDonald.

  


Remus felt a little bad for Mary. Their potion did not end up being the intended color, much to his disappointment. He wasn’t sure if it was because he incorrectly crushed the snake fangs or because the smell of the slugs made him gag, distracting him, but regardless, it was not a good potion. Mary didn’t seem to mind, but Professor Slughorn also seemed a little disappointed with Remus’s brew. 

  


“A-ha!” praised Slughorn, “Miss Evans and Mr. Snape have made a most perfect Cure for Boils! Ten points each to Gryffindor and Slytherin respectively.” 

  


Slughorn went around the room, assessing everyone’s potions. James and Sirius’s was apparently adequate, the potion of Peter and a Gryffindor boy Remus was not quite familiar with was subpar, and one Slytherin had made a potion so erroneous they needed to have a conference with the Professor after class to make sure he and his partner were not harmed in any way.

  
  


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

  


Most of the first week, discounting Potions, was purely focused on the study of theoretical magic. Remus did like his classes, but one could only listen without doing anything for so long. He was growing increasingly haggard as the full moon neared, and he felt incredibly alone. He would write to his mum, he decided, but not until after tonight’s full moon. His joints ached with each step. He was practically ready to collapse. Remus always felt terrible the day of the full, but he wondered if somehow the wolf knew he was away from his family. Professor McGonagall was being uncharacteristically gentle that morning, and he couldn’t help but be ashamed at whatever attention he was attracting.

  


“Your name is Remus, right?” asked Lily Evans. “I really think you should go to the hospital wing. You don’t look well. I can take you if you want.” Remus felt his cheeks burn as the anxiety set into his stomach. Merlin, this was so embarrassing.

  


“N-no thanks, I’ll be fine,” he said quietly. It was a Saturday, but the day was still full of responsibilities and homework, after which he could lay down and read until sundown neared. He could make it through the rest of the day, he just had to hold on for a little bit longer. 

  


Thankfully, the day seemed pretty short and relatively painless, so Remus went and read in his room. He wasn’t often in there, but today the other boys were undoubtedly off on some inane escapade elsewhere on the grounds. Remus had read a few chapters when he realized he should check the time, and then he panicked upon seeing that he had about fifteen minutes to get down to dinner, quickly eat, and go off to the hospital wing. He shoveled some sprouts and ham onto his plate, scarfed them down, and then hurried off to Madam Pomfrey’s office. Madam Pomfrey looked up at him from the files she was studying.

  


“Ah, Mr. Lupin, you’re a tad early. No harm in that, I suppose. Let me show you where you will be going.” Madam Pomfrey beckoned for Remus to follow her as she walked outside and onto the grounds. She hiked up her skirt as she stepped into the dirt and led him to a frightfully violent tree.

  


“This is the Whomping Willow. All you need to do is press this bit here,” she put her palm on a knot, freezing the entire tree, “And enter through here.” She climbed through a small, round tunnel, Remus following behind her the entire time. They ended up in a sizable dimly lit room.

  


“And all this is for me to, erm, transform in?” The matron nodded. He was somewhat astounded- this was an entire house, several rooms, built just for him. Normally at home he had to spend the night in the cellar, which could be uncomfortable to say the least. Madame Pomfrey left through the tunnel, promising to retrieve him in the morning. 

  


Remus carefully took off his clothes and set them atop a dusty-looking chair. He didn’t want to ruin his robes, so he tried to put them in the safest place he could find. He huddled in the corner of the room and looked out the window, waiting for the moon to rise, filled with dread. 

  


Remus felt it in his bones when the moon rose. He was still balled up on the floor when he felt a sharp pain shooting through his entire body. His fingers broke with a sickening _crack_ , and claws forced themselves through his skin. The rest of his bones followed suit, breaking and reforming in one swift but excruciating moment. Fur grew all over his body, his mouth lengthened, becoming a snout, and all of the sudden, his consciousness cut out. 

  


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

  


Remus awoke in considerable pain; he must’ve scratched the skin on his ankle into ribbons last night. Sometime before waking up, Madam Pomfrey had gotten him and brought him up to the hospital wing, because he wasn’t in the shack and he was all cleaned up. 

  


The matron noticed his return to consciousness and walked over to his bed. “Mr. Lupin, how are you feeling?” she asked, her voice wavering. 

  


“I- I’m alright, I guess. What time is it?” Madam Pomfrey cast a charm that displayed the time as eight in the morning.

  


“Am I, er, going to go to class today or…” Remus looked at her expectantly, waiting for an affirmative answer.

  


“Certainly not your morning classes, young man. We will see about the afternoon, but I would not get my hopes up.” He sighed, resigned, but didn’t make a fuss.

  


“Can you bring me a quill and some parchment? I want to write my mum.” She trotted off towards her office and returned with a self-inking quill from her desk and some parchment.

  


“Thank you.” Remus began writing out his letter.

  


_Dear Mum,_

_I’ve missed you lots. Last night wasn’t too bad, all things considered. Don’t worry, I’m being careful. I’ve managed to lay low, despite my persistent roommates. Most of my classes are currently going over theory and the basics right now, but they all seem very interested. I enjoy Charms so far, as well as Transfiguration with my head of house. I’m in Gryffindor, by the way. It seems alright, perhaps a little rowdy. I have been keeping up with my studies, and I think I’m doing well right now. I am almost through with my book, so if you could send another, that would be great._

_Love,_

_Remus._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and constructive criticism are much appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in a month. I moved and the holidays were a bit difficult, so this took me a while to write and its not even that good lol/

Madam Pomfrey ended up caving and letting Remus attend Charms, which was his third or fourth class that day. Remus had been leaving the classroom and stuffing loose papers into his bag when Sirius cornered him.

“Hey, Remus, you never came to the room last night,” he said. “You looked pretty ill the past few days, too. What happened?” 

Well. Sirius certainly felt no need to beat around the bush. Remus stilled, his eyes widening. His skin was practically  _ crawling _ , and Remus had no idea what to do.

“Oh, erm, I was s-sick and I- erm, I had to spend the night in the hospital wing. No big deal, just a f-flu. I’m okay,” he lied, crying to keep his anxiety under control. 

“Oh. Okay. Well, you can let any of us know if there’s anything you need. We’re friends, right?” Sirius smiled nervously, his shaking shoulders giving him away.

“Erm… er…” Remus turned away and started walking off to his next class. He couldn’t be friends with his roommates, not with his condition, but he didn't have the nerve to tell them off. So far, Remus thought social interaction was much more difficult than it is worth. He lingered behind his peers, watching them amble along on the way to their classes. James, Peter, and Sirius were wrapped up in a spirited discussion, and only Sirius looked back at Remus as he walked by. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

So far, the trio that was James, Peter, and Sirius had already caused a multitude of issues and disturbances around Hogwarts (although, admittedly, it was mostly just James and Sirius causing these problems). Today, James had left a dungbomb in the Gryffindor common room, making everything smell terrible and pissing off the majority of the students. 

“Messers Potter and Black! What is the meaning of this!” Professor McGonagall demanded. She stared at Sirius, but he just stared back at her, almost challenging her.    
  


“Detention, both of you! Detention with Mr. Filch! I can’t believe it is only the second week and you two already have a detention. Merlin’s beard, you two are going to be difficult.” She stormed out, a small vein in her forehead popping out just a teensy bit. The moment she walked back out through the painting, Peter began to giggle. Everyone stared at him incredulously.

“What’s so funny, Pettigrew?” asked a prefect. He turned red as he began to laugh more and more, so forcefully it almost looked painful.

“J- James and Sirius didn’t even do it. I did. But you should s-see the looks on their faces. Oh man, this is the best,” Peter said between bouts of laughter. Everyone turned to face the other two boys. James looked quite disgruntled but Sirius looked rather amused. Several other first years giggled a little, but most of the older kids just looked a little disappointed in everyone.

“I don’t mind the detention,” Sirius said, “And Jamesie here will get over it, won’t he?” Sirius nudged James with his shoulder, prompting the messy-haired boy to smile a little. James walked over and ruffled Peter’s hair a little. Remus couldn’t help but watch the lot from the corner with wide eyes. As annoying as these boys could be, they sure are kinda nice. He doesn’t have to be  _ friends _ with them, he can just… be friendly with them. 

The next week or two continued in much the same fashion, with Remus trying to justify any kind of social contact he had with his roommates to himself. He tried to think of other things as often as possible, like his classes, or that cat one of his fellow Gryffindors owns that seems to want to rub his face all over Remus’s robes, but his mind kept circling back to Sirius Black. Sirius kept following Remus around, trying to get his attention. He had no idea why Sirius would do this. Everyone else at school would give him as much attention as he wanted if he asked, so what was special about Remus that Sirius felt the need to bother him so much? Besides the fact that they were roommates, anyways.

As if summoned by the thought, Sirius ran into the Potions classroom just a second before class was set to begin. He and James arrived together, both looking a tad dishevelled. Sirius had longish hair for a boy, falling just below the bottoms of his ears, though not nearly as long as some of the older boys Remus had seen at Hogwarts. He took a lot of time every morning to comb this hair and get it just right, but now it was all mussed. Remus gave him a questioning glance, and Sirius just put his finger to his lips and shushed him in response. Professor Slughorn plodded into the classroom and started pairing up the students to practice making an improved cure for boils, which was probably necessary given the fact a few kids had to go to the hospital wing with faces full of boils.

“James Potter with… Remus Lupin,” Professor Slughorn decided. James sidled up next to Remus and took a seat, flashing a goofy smile. James seemed excited, not that that was unusual. He always seemed to be a mass of energy, practically vibrating at all times. 

“Remus, how’s it going!” James said. James was bouncing his leg so hard Remus thought his stool would tip over. How could James always be so excited?

“I’m alright,” Remus mumbled. He went over to the supplies shelves and started grabbing what they needed. Better him than James, who would probably break the jars in his current state. He added some carefully minced onions, trying not to mess it up like he did last time. The potions classroom just had so many smells, and it all gave him a terrible headache. James idly put some nettles in the cauldron, all the while making eye contact with Sirius. Sirius, who was sitting right next to Lily Evans and Snape. Remus put two and two together and felt an overwhelming sense of dread swallow him. Snape was kind of an arsehole, but he was also quite neurotic, and he would surely have a fit if his potion got messed with. Remus watched on in horror as Sirius poured what could most definitely be considered more than “a dash” of flobberworm mucus while Snape was collecting snake fangs. A pungent odor filled the room as the potion bubbled up and turned an unpleasant red. Panic-stricken, Snape added other ingredients as quickly as he could before something happened. A drop had spilled on his hand, making it red and puffy. Professor Slughorn took note of all that was happening and told his, Snape’s, and Sirius’s groups to stay behind. 

“Boys,” he began, uncharacteristically strict, “I am very disappointed to say the least. Multiple people could’ve gotten injured! Even if that was not the case, it is not acceptable to tamper with another student’s potion. I shall be taking the three of you to talk to Professor McGonagall.” Three? Surely he wouldn’t be punishing Snape for this, that- oh. Professor Slughorn meant him. James and Sirius must’ve come to this realization as well, because Sirius spoke up.

“Sir, Remus wasn’t involved. He was James’s Potions partner, but he wasn’t in on it. By the time he probably caught the drift it was too late.” Well. Remus couldn’t say he was pleased with how daft that made him seem, he was grateful not to be in trouble, especially not for something he had no part in. Slughorn apologised and took James and Sirius to Professor McGonagall’s office. 

Remus leaned in next to Snape. “I’m sorry about them,” he whispered. Snape merely glared back.

“Whatever,” Snape said, clearly upset.

Later that evening, James pulled him aside. Remus felt his heartbeat in every part of his body, pounding loudly and quickly. Had someone managed to find out already? It had only been a few weeks, that must be some sort of record or something.

“Hey Remus,” James said quietly. “It’s nothing bad, I promise.” Oh. He must’ve noticed how nervous Remus was. “It’s just… you’ve been avoiding us. I thought we were all gonna be friends, because of the train and stuff. If you don’t wanna be friends with me and Peter and Sirius, you should probably just tell us instead of being all cold. He would never say it, but I think it’s hurting Sirius’s feelings. He won’t stop talking about you. So… just tell us. Because I don’t want him to be upset.” 

Oh. That wasn’t quite what Remus expected him to want to talk about.

“Erm,” Remus gulped. “Can I have some time? To think about it.” James nodded, his brow still furrowed. Remus ran up the stairs and pulled out a spare piece of parchment.

_ Mum, _

_ School has been alright. I have done well in most of my classes so far, and I think I’m going to get good grades, although it’s too early in the year to tell. I miss you. This is all so new. There are so many people here, and I don’t really know how to talk to any of them. My roommates are a group of boys I sat and talked with on the train, but after that I realized I probably shouldn't make any friends, as a precaution, so I’ve been ignoring them, but now they want to talk to me and they’re confused about why. I don’t know what to tell them. I kind of want to be friends with them, but don’t worry, I won’t. I’m more careful than that. _

_ Anyways, I’m almost one month through school. Tell Da my favorite class is Charms. Defence Against the Dark Arts would be more fun if we had a better teacher, the current one's right boring, but it’s not bad either. Say hello to him for me. _

_ Love, _

_ Remus. _

__ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_ Dear Remus, _

_ I’m glad you’re enjoying school. I feel bad that you weren’t more prepared. I guess Da and I just never thought to send you to  _ _ normal _ _ Muggle school. You probably wouldn’t have liked it much anyway, to be honest. You would’ve had to pretend magic isn't real and all that.  _

_ Cariad bach, I’m so sorry if we ever made it seem like you weren't allowed to make friends. We want you to be careful, yes, and if you asked your father, never talking to anyone would be the best way to do that, but that’s not healthy, and even he knows it. I want you to make friends and be happy. You should put your safety above all else, and that’s why you should exercise caution, but your father and I trust you to be safe. If we have taught you nothing else these past six or seven years, it is how to be careful with your secret. If you want to be friends with these boys and you trust them, you should give it a try. As long as you don’t tell them and they don’t find out, it will be okay. _

_ All my love,  _

_ Mum. _


End file.
